1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing parts and, in particular, to manufacturing parts using selective laser sintering.
2. Background
Selective laser sintering is a manufacturing technique that fuses diffused particles into a three-dimensional object using a laser. A laser may selectively fuse small particles in the form of a powdered material by scanning cross sections on the surface of a bed of powder. These cross sections may be identified from a three-dimensional model of the part. As each cross section is scanned, the bed of powder may be lowered by a one layer thickness, and a new layer of powder may be applied on top of the scanned layer. This process may be repeated until the part is completed.
As compared to other manufacturing methods, selective laser sintering can be used to manufacture parts from a relatively wide range of materials. These materials include, for example, polymers, metals, and sand. The process may include full melting, partial melting, or liquid phase sintering.
Selective laser sintering may be used to build prototypes and production parts for use, such as in an aircraft. Selective laser sintering is capable of being used to produce parts with complex geometries within various dimensions.
Aircraft parts typically have stringent and/or extreme design requirements as compared to parts with other applications. These requirements may occur from operating environments that may have high loads and temperatures. Further, these parts also may be required to be capable of withstanding impact loads from maintenance, handling, and/or other types of impact loads. For example, some parts may need to survive usage in some airframe locations that have in-service temperature ranges from around −54 degrees Celsius to around 225 degrees Celsius.
In particular, parts that exist near areas that are heated to or near engine or exhaust temperatures may need to be serviced and handled on the ground in severe winter conditions that may be present above 48 degrees north latitude or at altitude. These conditions require the material that the parts are made of to have sufficient impact resistance at the low end of the temperature range. Simultaneously, sufficient stiffness and mechanical strength must be maintained at the high end of the temperature range to prevent failure in service.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account one or more of the different issues described above as well as possibly other issues.